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Educational research and many aspects of the educational system in Germany are facing a challenge. With Germany’s participation in large-scale assessment studies such as PISA, the German educational discourse is increasingly incorporating international developments in terms of educational standards, accountability, and students’ performance testing. At the same time, the long-standing history of German Didaktik has influenced and shaped teacher education programs in Germany for decades. Research conducted at a German university shows how these two concurrent developments can be fused – without neglecting their distinct differences. A crucial aspect revealed in this work shows that preservice teachers are prepared for their future profession in a rather output- and standard-based educational system in inquiry-based classes. In these classes, their research-based reflective thinking, didactic expertise, and their leadership skills in the sense of didactic ownership are strengthened.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of affective commitment and empowerment as mediators in the relationship among high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organizational performance. Different inconsistencies found in the literature review shows the need to take into account certain mediating variables, such as employees’ behaviors and attitudes, to understand how human resource management (HRM) facilitates the achievement of organizational results.

A sample of 200 medium-sized Spanish organizations was examined through partial least squares modeling methodology.

As hypothesized, a proactive strategic HRM approach in an organization can be translated in a series of human resources practices systems of high-performance, which stimulate directly employees’ affective commitment and promote empowerment among them, getting to better results in employees’ performance and in organizational performance.

This research shows that affective commitment and empowerment play a determinant role as mediators in HPWS and performance relationship, providing a deeper understanding of the alignment of strategy and HRM practices for organizational success.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the outcomes of a final year action research project as part of an initial teacher education (ITE) programme in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The approach taken was to examine the responses of graduate and student teachers to interviews and written prompts within a framework of theoretical benefits of action research and reflective practice: linking theory to practice, transforming teaching strategies; transforming student learning outcomes; developing professionalism and lifelong learning; and raising the status of teachers through empowerment.

It was found that students referred to all of these outcomes in their responses, suggesting that classroom‐based action research is a valuable component of an ITE programme in the UAE.

This is a small‐scale study, but the results suggest that further examination of systematic reflective practice in the form of action research would be useful for teacher educators, especially those working in education systems undergoing reform.

Empirical research into effective teacher education practices in the UAE is limited. This paper will, therefore, be of interest to teacher educators considering action research as a component of ITE programmes and also in terms of considering tasks to promote reflective practice.

This study aims to examine the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and informal workplace learning.

Data were collected from a sample of 381 employees working as heads of the department of branches in private commercial banks of Bangladesh. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modelling-partial least square.

Findings of the study revealed that HRM practices such as selective hiring, extensive training, performance appraisal, compensation practices, empowerment and information-sharing, significantly positively related with informal workplace learning.

Based on the situated learning and organizational support theory, this study is empirically testing how HRM practices influence informal workplace learning.

This chapter discusses a form of pedagogy of reflection suggested to be defined as the dialogical-reflective professional-development school (DRPDS) – a framework that develops and empowers students by engaging them in a process of continual improvement, responding to diverse situations, providing stimuli for learning, and giving anchors for mediation. The pedagogy of reflection relates to dialogue not only from a theoretical historical context but also by way of example – that is, it offers empowering dialogues within the traditional teacher-training framework. This chapter outlines the importance of the pedagogy of reflection in the multicultural educational space of the preservice education field in Israel, analyzing the first university PDS model. The pedagogy of reflection in the context of the educational dialogue of educators is outlined as a tool for student empowerment, achieved through a community of learners who dedicate space to the development of their whole personality within the profession, taking a moral stance toward the educational discourse, minimizing judgmentalism and prejudice, creating national/gender equality with the goal of examining the fundamental question of educational performance, and reinforcing their sense of organizational belonging within the system. In these contexts, the chapter is based on the elements of dialogical philosophy exemplified in the thought of Burbules, Nelson, Isaacs, Bohm, and Heckmann and the reflective basis of educational and organizational performance exemplified in the writings of van Manen. The chapter also presents two examples from a project in which teaching units based on dialogue and reflection were developed within a dialogic community that represents in its very being collective empowerment, the possibility of coping with problems that are too large for an individual to solve on his/her own, and an alternative to sealed and alienated organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze students' reflective writing in terms of identifiable outcomes and explore students' thoughts on reflection and reflective writing as a process.

A mixed methods approach is taken with a qualitative analysis of 116 written reflections from MA Librarianship studying management over an eight‐month period. A quantitative statistical analysis assesses the relationships between reflective writing and a number of possible outcomes identified from the literature.

A significant relationship is found between seven of eight outcomes tested; academic learning, the need for self‐development, actual self‐development, critical review, awareness of ones' own mental functions, decision making and empowerment and emancipation. There is some evidence of a relationship between non‐academic learning and reflective writing, but it is not significant. A number of themes emerged from the reflective writings regarding reflection itself, with students seeing reflection as a positive activity, with benefits for the individual, groups and in the workplace, and identifying reflection as a skill that can be practiced and developed.

Reflection and reflective writing as a management skill has potential benefits for personal and professional development and improving work‐based practice.

This paper differs from the previous literature in presenting statistical evidence to confirm the relationships between reflective writing and a range of potential outcomes.

The evidence base associated with Open dialogue (OD) continues to develop. However, much of the literature associated with this “whole system philosophy” is focussed within therapeutic clinical practice. The purpose of this paper is to explore another key aspect of OD within a higher education context, the creation of “dialogical practice culture” and the application of key OD principles to enable an open, empowering ethos which permeates all aspects of teaching and learning and supports co-production.

The authors use a collective auto ethnographic approach to reflect on their experiences of developing and delivering a series of co-produced seminars within pre-registration mental health nurse education over a period of 4 years. This paper explores the data produced through this process focussing on the pedagogical impact and challenges of applying OD principles to teaching and learning practice.

The paper highlights the way in which two core principles of OD, resonate with the co-production process within teaching design and delivery. Moreover, the paper illustrates the impact that threading these principles throughout teaching practice can have: enhancing the learning environment and facilitating mutual empowerment, and thus supporting the students’ development of empowering therapeutic practice with service users. A significant theme in these reflections has been the nature of empowerment and the necessity to openly address power differentials and relationships.

This innovative paper is the first to explore the application of OD principles within a nurse education context; considering how they support co-production and enable an empowering culture. This exploration helps to provide a foundation for further inquiry and research.

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways teachers undergoing induction via the Career Advancement and Development of Recruits and Experienced (CADRE) Teachers Project felt empowered and supported in their well-being through mentoring and coaching.

Surveys about CADRE Project impact were e-mailed to 675 current and former participants. Out of 438 surveys returned, researchers used homogeneous sampling to identify 341 teacher respondents. Researchers used qualitative thematic analysis to determine ways teachers felt supported.

Coaching and mentoring supported CADRE Project participants’ well-being through empowerment (theme). Sub-themes included: growth, collaboration, networking, improvement and resources.

Possibilities for future research include exploring the role of mentors/coaches, tracking teachers’ leadership roles and investigating the link between induction and teacher retention in more detail.

Opportunities for growth and collaboration are cornerstones of first-year teacher support. These support systems can lead to a sense of belonging, develop a mindset for continuous improvement and create long-term networking opportunities. The support teachers need to empower them and maintain their well-being changes with each first-year teacher phase.

Few studies exist on induction programs with the longevity of the CADRE Project. The high survey response rate with overwhelmingly positive responses suggests that CADRE is unique in its support of beginning teachers’ well-being through the first-year teacher phases, specifically due to the combination of mentoring and coaching beginning teachers receive.

The purpose of this paper is to present a case for reflective practice with an intersectional focus in supporting practitioners working with gender-based violence (GBV). It is argued that GBV increases women’s experiences of social exclusion requiring support systems that are inclusive and alert to intersecting forms of oppression. Some challenges to inclusive practice are identified and some supportive practices are suggested.

Reflective practice examples are drawn from UK-based advocacy and therapeutic work involving women experiencing GBV.

Three critical challenges to inclusivity are identified: poor knowledge of intersectionality, misuse of power and over-reliance on the scope of empathy.

These themes are drawn from case examples gained from work-based practice with services in London and the southeast of England. The findings have limited scope but could be used to stimulate further research.

If health and social care services are to achieve a more inclusive response to women who experience GBV then reflective practice needs to shift the focus to a broader inquiry into women’s experiences. Whilst reflective practice cannot overturn the power invested in the health and social care sector it can help individual practitioners to respond to the inequalities they observe.

It is argued that providing a regular reflective space is an effective mechanism for fostering inclusive practice responses to women experiencing GBV.

Intersectionality, power and empathy are identified as central themes for improving practitioner responses to GBV. How these themes apply to interactions between practitioners and abused women is demonstrated through examples from reflective practice sessions.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of job embeddedness on the relationships between high-performance work practices, trust in supervisor and turnover intentions of frontline employees in the hospitality industry.

Data were collected from 343 frontline employees working in four- and five-star hotels of Thailand. Partial least squares was used for analysis because it is considered as the best method to analyze the data containing both reflective and formative indicators.

Results suggest that job embeddedness fully mediates the effects of high-performance work practices and trust in supervisor on turnover intentions and turnover intention positively affects the actual voluntary turnover.

The study confirms that high-performance work practices (empowerment, training and rewards) and trust in supervisor affect turnover intentions through on-the-job embeddedness. Hence, high-performance work practices embed hotel employees in their jobs, and they are unlikely to display turnover intentions. Furthermore, low level of trust in supervisor must be addressed to maintain a healthy environment where employees are able to develop their job embeddedness.

This study contributes to the body of research on the theoretical explanation of the consequences of trust in supervisor in hospitality industry, as well as to the growing body of research on turnover intentions in frontline employees.